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 Match 175   DB Rec# - 7,627  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :New Caledonia 
Text          : 
                                  New Caledonia 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (overseas territory of France) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia 
Map references: 
    Oceania 
Area: 
  total area: 
    19,060 sq km 
  land area: 
    18,760 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly smaller than New Jersey 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    2,254 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid 
Terrain: 
    coastal plains with interior mountains 
Natural resources: 
    nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    0% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    14% 
  forest and woodland: 
    51% 
  other: 
    35% 
Irrigated land: 


    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    typhoons most frequent from November to March 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    184,552 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    31% (female 27,712; male 28,677) 
  15-64 years: 
    64% (female 58,462; male 60,169) 
  65 years and over: 
    5% (female 4,997; male 4,535) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    1.75% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    22.04 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    4.9 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    74.02 years 
  male: 
    70.73 years 
  female: 
    77.48 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.57 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    New Caledonian(s) 
  adjective: 
    New Caledonian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, 
    Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% 
Languages: 
    French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1976) 
  total population: 
    91% 
  male: 
    92% 
  female: 
    90% 
Labor force: 


    50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, 
    Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.) 
  by occupation: 
    NA 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies 
  conventional short form: 
    New Caledonia 
  local long form: 
    Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances 
  local short form: 
    Nouvelle-Caledonie 
Digraph: 
    NC 
Type: 
    overseas territory of France since 1956 
Capital: 
    Noumea 
Administrative divisions: 
    none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
 
    divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named 
    Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud 
Independence: 
    none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be 
    held in 1998) 
National holiday: 
    National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789) 
Constitution: 
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution) 
Legal system: 
    the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; 
    formerly under French law 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) 
  head of government: 
    High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Didier CULTIAUX
 
    (since NA July 1994; appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior); 
    President of the Territorial Congress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989) 
  cabinet: 
    Consultative Committee 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  Territorial Assembly: 
    elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held July 1995); results - RPCR
 
    44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 
    27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK 
  French Senate: 
    elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); 
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1 
  French National Assembly: 


    elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); 
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2 
Judicial branch: 
    Court of Appeal 
 
                                   Government 
Political parties and leaders: 
    white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), 
    conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR, president - affiliated to France's 
    Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR; also called South Province Party); 
    Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front 
    (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation 
    (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; 
    Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), 
    conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), 
    proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK, 
    president; "1999" (new party calling for an autonomous state), Philippe 
    PENTECOST 
Member of: 
    ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (overseas territory of France) 
US diplomatic representation: 
    none (overseas territory of France) 
Flag: 
    the flag of France is used 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In 
    recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international 
    demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a 
    negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts
 
    for about 25% of imports. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1991 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    2.4% (1988) 
National product per capita: 
    $6,000 (1991 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    1.4% (1990) 
Unemployment rate: 
    16% (1989) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $224 million 
  expenditures: 
    $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.) 
Exports: 
    $671 million (f.o.b., 1989) 
  commodities: 
    nickel metal 87%, nickel ore 
  partners: 
    France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6% 
Imports: 
    $764 million (c.i.f., 1989) 
  commodities: 


    foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment 
  partners: 
    France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9% 
External debt: 
    $NA 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA% 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    250,000 kW 
  production: 
    1.2 billion kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    6,178 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    nickel mining and smelting 
Agriculture: 
    large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% 
    self-sufficient in beef 
Illicit drugs: 
    illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for 
    some families 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), 
    $4.185 billion 
Currency: 
    1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes 
 
                                     Economy 
Exchange rates: 
    Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 96.25 (January 
    1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 
    (1990); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    6,340 km 
  paved: 
    634 km 
  unpaved: 
    5,706 km (1987) 
Ports: 
    Mueo, Noumea, Thio 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT 
Airports: 
    36 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    3 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 


    19 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    13 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    32,578 telephones (1987) 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) satellite link 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    7 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force 
Defense expenditures: 
    $NA, NA% of GDP 
Note: 
    defense is the responsibility of France 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996